


it’s a new world, it’s a new start

by WishingTree



Category: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Genre: F/F, don't mind me pt.2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:49:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29884143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingTree/pseuds/WishingTree
Summary: “It’s annoying,” she said flatly, and Raya grinned.“Well, that’s what friends do,” she told her, and Namaari huffed, blowing hair out of her face.Is that what friends did? She’d had friends before, and yet somehow she’d never found herself digging shrimp out of her clothes.In which Namaari finds seafood in her pockets, gets shown up by a baby, and holds Raya’s hand.
Relationships: Namaari/Raya (Disney)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 229





	it’s a new world, it’s a new start

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 'Here I Am' by Bryan Adams;

Namaari stalked through the halls of Heart’s palace, not paying attention to where she was going until she bumped into Raya.

“Woah, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Namaari responded immediately, and Raya raised an eyebrow.

“Uh huh.”

“Fine,” Namaari complained, rolling her eyes, “I keep finding shrimp in my pockets.” She held up one such shrimp in example and wrinkled her nose.

Raya laughed. “Sorry,” she said, not sounding at all repentant, “That’s probably Boun.” She thought about it for a moment. “And the Ongis, no doubt.”

Namaari gave her an unimpressed stare and flicked the piece of seafood out the window. “It’s annoying,” she said flatly, and Raya grinned.

“Well, that’s what friends do,” she told her before promptly disappearing around the corner, and Namaari huffed, blowing hair out of her face.

Is that what friends did? She’d had friends before, and yet somehow she’d never found herself digging shrimp out of her clothes.

Continuing on her path, she chewed on the inside of her cheek and made her way outside to one of the many gardens. Were they really friends now? They certainly weren’t enemies anymore, so she supposed that had to be accurate. Though why did the word feel like it was lacking something when she thought about Raya?

The sound of babbling pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Noi crawling around on the path ahead of her, playing with the Ongis.

“Hey, kiddo,” she called out, going to kneel beside her, “Does your mom know where you are?”

Noi tilted her head and stared up at her, leaning to the side, and then her expression morphed into what was frankly a terrifying grin just before she leaped up and yanked on Namaari’s loose hair.

“Ow! Hey!” she yelped, falling backwards to land on the ground. She scrabbled for the baby, arms going wide as she got to her feet and lunged forward, but somehow Noi dodged out of the way.

This flailing went on for several minutes, which was several minutes too long for Namaari as the baby and the Ongis evaded her. She darted around, skidding and stopping and altogether making a fool of herself, and she was just about to give up when a familiar presence made itself known again.

“Aw, defeated by Little Noi?” Raya asked in amusement, crossing her arms and leaning against the archway that led inside from the garden where Namaari was currently being shown up by a wayward child. She sounded smug, and Namaari would have glared at her if she wasn’t so preoccupied. “That doesn’t sound like the fearsome princess I know.”

“I can’t hit a _baby_ ,” Namaari despaired, letting out a groan as she swiped for Noi and missed her again, slamming into the side of a decorative statue in the process.

The Ongis chittered, very obviously laughing at her, and Namaari growled and grabbed for them too. They dodged her easily, twisting her around as she tried and failed to follow their movements. Her momentum carried her directly into the side of a bush, and she tripped and crashed into it with a startled gasp.

“Going well, I see,” Raya called over, and Namaari cast her despairing eyes to the sky before she sat up. She was grumbling as she got to her feet and tried to brush herself off, and Raya snorted.

“Usually I’m great with kids.”

“Didn’t go as planned?”

Namaari opened her mouth to respond, and then she ducked the baby-and-Ongis chain that came flying at her with a battle cry. “Woah! Guys! Come on, work with me here!”

“Okay, okay,” Raya laughed again, finally stepping forward onto the grass. “Why don’t you leave the baby alone and come pick on someone your own size?”

Her motions were playful when she held her hands up in a fighting stance, obviously meant as a teasing challenge and nothing more, but Namaari was suddenly gripped with fear.

“I don’t…” she faltered, muscles locked in place as panic surged through her veins. “No, I – I – ”

“Hey, hey, Namaari,” Raya soothed, brow creasing in concern as she came closer. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t… want to hurt you,” she whispered, unable to say the words any louder. Memories of their previous fights flashed through her mind, images filled with violence and conflict and rage, and she flinched. “Not again.”

Raya gave a noise of understanding, and her smile softened. “You won’t hurt me.”

Her gaze was steady as she said it, and she sounded so confident that Namaari could almost believe her.

“How can you be sure?”

Raya shrugged, giving her another grin. “I trust you, remember?”

The words hung in the air between them, and Namaari distantly registered Noi slamming into the back of her leg. She didn’t otherwise react, and Raya watched her with concern.

“Okay, how about this instead,” Raya offered, moving closer and holding out her hand. Namaari looked at it in confusion, glancing up to see if Raya would give her any indication of what she expected, but all she did was wiggle her fingers. Namaari reflexively reached out to meet her touch, tentatively gripping her hand, and surprisingly, Raya beamed and held tight.

That was weird. Raya wanted to hold her hand?

“We’ll work up to it, yeah?” Raya said quietly, squeezing gently, and Namaari felt her fear fading, washing itself away like rainwater. She relaxed as it was replaced with something that felt a lot like affection, and then her breath caught again for a different reason.

Raya was just standing there now, holding her hand and smiling, and Namaari didn’t understand why. She also didn’t understand why Raya slowly slid her gaze to the side to look at something behind her, suddenly biting her lip to stifle amusement, and that made Namaari narrow her eyes.

“What are you–”

There came a yowling sound from behind her, and then she was hit in the head with a piece of shrimp.

Raya burst into laughter.


End file.
